This invention relates generally to infant highchairs, and more particularly, to a tray for a highchair including at least one removable insert having an eating surface, at least one toy, and/or other objects thereon, which tray inserts are easily removable by an adult, but difficult to remove by a child or an infant, and are suitable for cleaning under high temperature environmental conditions typically found in a conventional automatic dishwashing machine.
It is well known to provide trays for infant highchairs, invalid seats, wheelchairs, child car seats and the like, which have removable covers or inserts. Reference in this regard Dare et al. U.S. Pat. No. 3,729,037, issued Apr. 24, 1973 which discloses a disposable highchair tray cover of paper or plastic formed or molded to conform to a chair tray top; Jones U.S. Pat. No. 4,606,576, issued Aug. 19, 1986, which discloses a tray for a highchair which can include a removable feeding bowl; Carruth U.S. Pat. No. 5,662,378, issued Sep. 2, 1997, which discloses a car seat with a tray for use by children which is removable, embedded in a shield of the car seat; and Chavous U.S. Pat. No. 5,558,391, issued Sep. 24, 1996, which discloses a tray with removable object supporting insert for use by disabled persons.
However, an important shortcoming of various of the above-referenced devices is the requirement of relatively complex and difficult to use means for attaching the removable items to, and detaching the removable items from, the various trays and other support structures. Additionally, at least in the instance of U.S. Pat. No. 3,729,037, the removable tray cover is not indicated as being dishwasher safe, and other of the disclosed devices appear to have no handles for ease of carrying, or require substantial dexterity for securing the removable item to, and removing it from the tray, as is apparent from the disclosure of U.S. Pat. No. 5,558,391.
Accordingly, the present invention is directed to overcoming one or more of the problems as set forth above.
In one aspect of the present invention, a tray assembly for an infant high chair is disclosed, the tray assembly including a frame having a front peripheral edge portion, a rear peripheral edge portions opposite the front peripheral edge portion, and opposing side peripheral edge portions extending between the front and rear peripheral edge portions, the peripheral edge portions defining a space therebetween having a predetermined shape and size; a tray insert having a front peripheral lip portion, a rear peripheral lip portion opposite the front peripheral lip portion, a pair of opposing side peripheral lip portions extending between the front and rear peripheral lip portions defining an area, and a bottom portion located in the area and connected to and supported by the peripheral lip portions, the tray insert having a predetermined shape and extent such that the peripheral lip portions can rest on the peripheral edge portions of the frame for supporting the bottom of the tray insert in at least substantially covering relation to the space defined by the frame. The present tray assembly importantly includes a handle on the front peripheral lip of the tray insert having a generally C shape profile when viewed from the side, positioned so as to releasably wrap or clamp securely around a sufficient portion of the front peripheral edge portion of the frame for holding the front lip portion of the tray insert thereon when the side and rear lip portions of the tray insert are resting on the side and rear edge portions of the frame, respectively; wherein the tray insert is removable from the frame by grasping the handle with one hand and pulling the handle forwardly to release the handle from the front peripheral edge portion of the frame.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a tray for an infant highchair is disclosed, including a frame having a front peripheral edge portion, a rear peripheral edge portion opposite the front peripheral edge portion, and opposing side peripheral edge portions extending between the front and rear peripheral edge portions, the peripheral edge portions defining a space therebetween having a predetermined shape and size; a tray insert having a front peripheral lip portion, a rear peripheral lip portion opposite the front peripheral lip portion, a pair of opposing side peripheral lip portions extending between the front and rear peripheral lip portions defining an area, and a bottom portion located in the area and connected to the peripheral lip portions, the tray insert having a predetermined shape and extent such that the peripheral lip portions can rest on the peripheral edge portions of the frame for supporting the bottom of the tray insert in at least substantially covering relation to the space of the frame; locking clips extending upwardly from the side peripheral edge portions of the frame and yieldably biased toward the space, the locking clips being cooperatively engageable with the side peripheral lips of the tray insert when resting on the side peripheral edge portions of the frame for releasably holding the tray insert on the frame, the tray insert being removable from the frame by applying force against at least one of the locking clips in a direction away from the tray insert and lifting the tray insert from the frame.